California More Irish than Ireland!
Pictured is San Francisco City Hall lit up each St. Patrick’s Day with green lighting. San Francisco has more Irish pubs and bars per capita than any California city.
Congress proclaimed March as Irish-American Heritage Month in 1991. And, if you have ever wondered why Californians act a little crazy on St. Patrick’s Day (March 17) the answer lies in the data. According to the U.S. Census Bureau not only does the United States have more citizens of Irish ancestry (33.3 million) than the country of Ireland (4.6 million,) California has more citizens or Irish descent than any state in the nation. Over 2.5 million Californians have reported their Irish roots to the Census Bureau and whole lot more haven’t. Irish California is often overlooked and rarely recognized for its love of Irish lifestyle, food and culture. For example, when Forbes published, ‘Top 10 Irish Cities in America’, not a single city in California made the list. Yet, California has one of 17 U.S. cities called Dublin, it’s home to Irish celebrities such as Nadine Coyle who lives in Sunset Beach, and the state hosts some of the largest Irish celebrations in the nation with a dozen major parades and festivals. California’s Irish roots stem back several hundred years, with the most notable event attracting large groups of Irish immigrants to the Gold Rush. Sam Brannan, the son of Irish immigrants, is believed to be the first person to become a millionaire in the wake of the Gold Rush, owning approx. 20%f the land in San Francisco. Irish miners sought their fortune and usually stayed in California after the Gold Rush was over.
